The Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free) Songfacts reports that Fiasco’s first single off his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 debuted on May 21, 2012. On "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)," he spits rhymes about aspects of modern American life he doesn’t like such as "Suicide bombers and prosperity gospels, emaciated models, with cocaine and blood pouring out their nostrils” as well as socio-political problems in Ghana and the invasion of Iraq.
Lupe released his fifth studio album Tetsuo & Youth on January 20, 2015.
Lupe's 8th Studio Album DRILL MUSIC IN ZION was released on June 23rd 2022
Lupe has previously been on label Epic with his group Da Pak and then signed a solo deal with Arista. His years at Arista only led to the 2003 promo single "Pop Pop" as well as guest appearances on singles from Tha' Rayne (2002's "Kiss Me" and 2003's "Didn't You Know") and K Fox (2003's "This Life"), then Arista folded in 2004 and Lupe was signed to Atlantic Records.
In the Event of Typhoon
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics
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Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds
Declare the typhon's coming
Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard
The dead and dying, ne'er heed their chains
Hope, hope, fallacious hope!
Where is thy market now?
The lyrics to Lupe Fiasco's "In the Event of Typhoon" draws its inspiration from a 19th-century poem by William Falconer called "The Shipwreck." This specific stanza is a reference to a sailor's experience during a typhoon. The command to "strike the top-masts and belay" means to lower the ship’s top-masts and secure them to the deck to prevent damage to the ship.
The "angry setting sun" and "fierce-edged clouds" suggest that the sailor is experiencing a terrifying situation as he observes the typhoon approaching. The sailor is advised to throw overboard the dead and dying to prevent them from weighing down the ship and causing it to sink. The final line, "Hope, hope, fallacious hope! Where is thy market now?" is a reference to the sailor's realization of the hopelessness of his situation - hope being a commodity that cannot be bought or sold.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The sailor's experience represents the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of life itself, and how in the face of disaster, all one can do is hope for the best.
Line by Line Meaning
Aloft all hands, strike the top-masts and belay
Get ready for the upcoming storm and secure the ship's highest masts.
Yon angry setting sun and fierce-edged clouds
The sunset is red, and the clouds are sharp, indicating the typhoon's arrival.
Declare the typhon's coming
Warn everyone that the typhoon is approaching.
Before it sweeps your decks, throw overboard
Get rid of any dead or injured sailors before the typhoon hits and washes them overboard.
The dead and dying, ne'er heed their chains
Don't worry about the chains attached to the dead and injured sailors, just throw them overboard as quickly as possible.
Hope, hope, fallacious hope!
Don't rely on hope, it's deceptive and won't help you survive the storm.
Where is thy market now?
This is a rhetorical question, implying that survival is more important than profit or gain.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Wasalu Muhammad Jaco
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind